In many communities around the world it’s very hard for people to consider disaster preparedness as a priority. In an Afghan village where families spend many of their waking hours just trying to survive — whether it’s collecting water or working on their fields — not much time is spent thinking about preparing for natural disasters.
Many villagers often think that there is nothing they can do because disasters are something from God that they just have to live through. If you happen to be a victim of one then that’s just the way things are.

Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A., in partnership with its sister agency Focus Humanitarian Assistance, has been able to change that mindset by sharing with villagers what they can do to be prepared, laying out what the hazards are and teaching them to identify the hazards. We’ve had people tell us that it’s encouraging to take ownership of their own safety.

Theater of Change is an entertaining yet powerful way to teach people about preparing for natural disasters. Through theater’s capacity to make strong and memorable impressions on its audience, community members learn ways to take greater control of their own destiny in the face of unpredictable earthquakes, avalanches and floods in rural Afghanistan. The plays often portray one main character that refuses to pay attention to early warning signs and the dire consequences of ignoring them. Other characters reveal actions that exemplify how villagers can take ownership of their own safety.

Villagers on both sides of the stage — as actors and audience members — enjoy a break from their daily labor to laugh and be entertained. The plays also impart an important message: that while Allah is all-knowing and all-giving, it is also the responsibility of each human being to do whatever they can to safeguard their lives. It teaches actors and audience members alike that if the main character listens to the pleas of other community members to prepare for impending disaster, they can save lives.

Theater of Change impacts lives for good by teaching how to plan for natural disasters—and with amusement.